


Between Me and Everyone Else

by toffrox33



Series: Will and Nico [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: At least I try, Background Jason/Piper (but its not endgame), But maybe not, Canon Compliant, Dialogue Heavy, Drabbles, Established Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Established Relationship, First Meetings, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Percy & Will friendship, Percy/Jason/Reyna are protective of nico, Piper & Will friendship, Rambling, Some humour, Will Solace is a Dork, background percabeth, especially chapters 1 and 4, maybe read part 1 first, nico di angelo protection squad, solangelo, will meets hades
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:48:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25506205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toffrox33/pseuds/toffrox33
Summary: "Lord Hades." Will said, cursing how strangled and high-pitched his voice sounded. "Um, if you're looking for Nico…" he trailed off and forced himself to stay rooted to the spot, even though he desperately wanted to take two steps back."Nico is still with Chiron." Hades said. "I have come to see you."Oh Gods.Conversations with Will Solace. ~Established Solangelo~Companion piece to 'Between You and Me' - Will POV - Dialogue-y drabbles from at various points throughout the PJO/HoO/ToA series. Written pre-tower of nero. Not chronological.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: Will and Nico [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1847725
Comments: 30
Kudos: 199





	1. Hades

**Author's Note:**

> ~Takes place five months post-BoO~
> 
> Companion/Sequel to 'Enough', chapters 3 & 4 from 'Between You and Me'

Will cast his eyes over the green between the cabins again. It was dusk, the last light of the day just dwindling. He was crouched awkwardly against the side of the Hades cabin, looking furtively around to make sure the coast was still clear.

It wasn't the first time he'd snuck over to Nico's cabin for the night. And it wasn't like they were really doing anything inappropriate… Mostly they just curled up under Nico's covers and watched movies or studied together… I mean not _all_ the time, but mostly… Besides, sometimes Nico even shadow travelled him back to the Apollo cabin at midnight anyway. Will couldn't help but grin as he remembered the last time that happened, when Nico decided they needed one more goodnight kiss and then Kayla walked in on them making out in the dark in the bathroom.

But really, this time his reasons for visiting after hours were totally innocent!

Nico had met up with Chiron after dinner for his first one-on-one training session. Will wanted to hear how it went.

Still, Will was always nervous that someone would catch him sneaking around. Not all of the year-round campers were as discreet as Austin and Kayla (though they sure did like to rub their own knowledge of Will's secret visits in his and Nico's faces…)

The coast was still clear, and Will snuck up onto the front balcony of the cabin. Will knocked lightly, keen to get out of the green torchlight that mingled with the last light from the sun.

No answer. Strange.

Will knocked again. Nothing happened.

Will cursed under his breath. Maybe Nico was still with Chiron. Or maybe he was exhausted and had fallen asleep already.

He checked the door, but it wasn't locked.

Maybe he could just wait here until Nico got back. Or if he was asleep he could lie down with him until he woke up. The thought of climbing under the sheets and snuggling up next to his boyfriend spurred Will on and he opened the door. He stepped into the cabin, closing the door behind him and peering towards the bunks as his eyes adjusted to the dark.

He shuffled forward into the gloom, feet pushing up against discarded books and clothing (honestly, having a whole cabin to yourself should not be allowed when you make this much mess), but his bunk looked empty.

"Nico?" Will whispered.

"He's not here." An unfamiliar voice spoke from behind him.

Will whirled around. His chest seized with terror as he searched for the speaker, eyes suddenly wide with panic.

A figure, the source of the voice, stood up from where he'd been sitting; on the bunk that usually belonged to Hazel when she visited, opposite Nico's. He was tall, with dark hair and darker eyes. His black cloak seemed to be constantly shifting and in the dim light Will thought he saw moving faces in the fabric. Though his eyes had adjusted and his panic had dimmed, Will's chest remained tight with fear.

"Lord Hades." He said, cursing how strangled and high-pitched his voice sounded. "Um, if you're looking for Nico…" he trailed off stupidly. He forced himself to stay rooted to the spot, even though he desperately wanted to take two steps back.

Will had met gods before, obviously. His father used visit fairly regularly for an Olympian, back before Apollo went off the grid completely and they lost the power of prophecy. And he'd spoken to Hermes before, and even met Hestia when Nico introduced him at the camp hearth. He had even seen all the Olympians, and Hades multiple times during the two wars… But this was different. Hades seemed much more godlike than any other god he'd met before (sorry, Dad) and up close that became even more apparent. Will had to struggle against the aura in the room telling him to bow down immediately or curl up on the bunk behind him in fear.

Despite this, Hades didn't seem mad. He was watching Will intently, but without malice.

"Nico is still with Chiron." Hades said. "I have come to see you."

_Oh Gods._

"Oh." Will's stomach clenched. "Um, why?"

"I have heard of your healing talents from Dionysus." Hades said. "That and my son never shuts up about you."

Will blushed. It was strange, seeing the Lord of the Dead roll his eyes as he spoke. He almost sounded like a normal Dad for a second. Is that why Hades was here? Was this Hades's idea of getting to know his son's boyfriend? Will's mind buckled at the thought; what was he supposed to do with _that_ information?

"Um, Nico talks about you too." Will said hesitantly.

"I bet he does." Hades said. His eyes flashed coldly. "I assure you, I'm not as bad as he makes me out to be." Will highly doubted that; he could still barely keep his hands from shaking. "But I'm not here to talk about Nico."

"You're not?" Will asked.

"I'm not." Hades smiled then. A thin smile that unnervingly kind of reminded Will of Nico… "Chiron has informed me about your initiative to start researching Underworld magic. I have been watching you and your little taskforce. I'm impressed."

For the first time, Will felt the pressure in his chest ease. Impressed? _Hades_?

"You are?" He asked.

"Stop acting so surprised" Hades snapped, waving his hand irritably before continuing, "I have never seen any of Chiron's trainees devote so much attention to understanding the nature of my realm. Not in the centuries I have been watching heroes. Not even when my children were more common in the world. Certainly not at Camp Half Blood, and certainly not in a manner that was designed to encourage collaboration between my children and other demigods."

"It was a mistake for demigods to underestimate your children, Lord Hades." Will said. And he meant it. Never had he understood the importance of what Percy was trying to do with his deal on Mt Olympus more than in the past couple of months, as he began to properly understand the impact that being separated from other demigods had had on Nico. "A mistake that I don't intend any other demigods to make anytime soon."

"No." Hades said quietly. "I have to admit even I'm starting to think that maybe Percy Jackson was onto something there… though if you tell a soul that I said that I will send you straight to Asphodel before you can draw another breath."

"Of course, Lord Hades." Will said hastily, though he struggled to hide a smile at that.

"I would like you and Nico to visit me for dinner, at my palace." Hades said.

"What?" Will spluttered. The urge to smile faded as soon as it had come. Hades did not repeat himself. Will recognised that his words were a command and not an offer. "I… of course, Lord Hades. We- I would be honoured."

"Good." Hades looked pleased. "I will help you and your friends with your research. Some Underworld knowledge should - and will - remain secret. But I am willing to assist you in part, Son of Apollo."

The mention of his father's name emboldened Will. He thought of the troubles they'd been having at camp recently.

"Lord Hades" He said. "Apollo… have you heard from my father?"

Hades's expression darkened.

"I'm afraid I can say nothing as to the situation with your father." He said gravely. "His fate is in Zeus's hands."

Will swallowed nervously.

"I see." He said.

There was a short silence followed by the sound of footsteps out on the balcony.

"I'm afraid that's my cue." Hades said. "I will see you in the Underworld, Will Solace."

And with that horrible thought, Hades faded into the shadows, just as the cabin door opened and Nico stepped inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote 'Between You and Me' (originally Will and Nico) as a Solangelo headcanon and wanted to keep those drabbles mainly focused on just the two of them, but these side stories between Will and other characters kept popping up in my head.
> 
> I have many ideas for Nico + Everyone Else too so stay tuned for a Part 3 :)
> 
> Next chapter will feature Piper being a total know-it-all!


	2. Piper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Enjoying the view?"
> 
> Will nearly jumped out of his skin. 
> 
> Piper settled down on the bench beside him, a dangerously knowing grin on her face. Will straightened up and cleared his throat.
> 
> Come on, Solace, pull yourself together.
> 
> -
> 
> Will is enjoying watching Nico practice in the combat arena when a certain Daughter of Aphrodite joins him. 
> 
> ~Approx. two months post-BoO~

Nico di Angelo was scowling.

Usually this would be bad news for Will. But today he was sitting at a completely safe distance, sat in the front row of the small stand overlooking the sparring arena.

He had to admit, he felt kind of smug. Only a few weeks ago he would have been perched gingerly on the edge of a seat in the back row, praying to Aphrodite that the other campers would buy his explanation that he was watching as an on-call healer. That was still technically the reason, but now he given up on pretending to anyone that there weren't decidedly attractive benefits…

Well, Will grinned to himself, one especially attractive benefit in particular.

Nico was for once wearing something other than his signature black jeans and deeply-inappropriate-for-the-summer-weather jacket. He was dressed for exercise in shorts, sneakers and a t-shirt. Though he still stuck to plain black rather than wear an orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt like his opponent.

Said opponent was not scowling. In fact, Jason Grace was grinning. He'd rolled his sleeves up so his biceps were showing and was holding his imperial gold sword casually in one hand; he was finally starting to relax out of the the more rigid Roman fighting style and the result had seen a marked increase in training spectators on the days he was practising.

He looked good, but Will had eyes only for Nico. His gaze lingered on his face; the way his dark eyes were sharp and focused, and his cheekbones looked like carved marble. The way his jaw was tensed in his scowl, tilted upwards so that his neck was exposed.

Jason had just blocked him, and Will could tell he was thinking hard about how to get him back. He lunged, pulling off a complicated move that Will couldn't even begin to explain how it worked but that resulted in knocking Jason's weapon to the ground. Jason rolled into the fumble and managed to snatch back his sword but the move still left him several feet away and on one knee. Jason was still grinning as Nico's scowl morphed into a smirk. Will's heart leapt at the way his lips quirked upwards.

_Gods, those lips…_

Some of the Aphrodite campers sitting behind Will had gasped and made sounds of disappointment at Jason's fumble. To Will's delight, this prompted Nico to look over his shoulder at them. He caught Will watching him and his smirk widened. Will blushed.

Maybe he should be embarrassed but the truth is he was _loving_ it. Nico circled round slightly, which gave Will a better view. Nico's eyes flickered up to Will and Will swore that Nico just winked at him. He crouched with his sword, readying for his next strike. As he positioned his arms his lips twitched, almost breaking into a full on grin. Was he flexing like that _deliberately_? Honestly, Will was convinced this guy was out to kill him.

But before he could draw out the torture any longer Jason had made another strike and the two of them went back to focusing on sparring.

It was a hot day. Nico's hair was plastered to his face and sticking up at the back. The way he was sweating meant his t-shirt clung to his chest and back and Will really hoped that no one else had noticed the way he couldn't stop staring. Nico was skinny but he had muscle. The more he recovered from his quest with the Seven, the more that became obvious. Will's eyes lingered on Nico's arms, flexing with every slash of his sword. He told himself he was just checking to make sure his werewolf cuts were healing ok but…

Nico pulled up the hem of his shirt to wipe his face. Will guessed he couldn't really use the healer excuse to explain away the way his stomach swooped at this fleeting view of Nico's abdomen.

"Enjoying the view?"

Will nearly jumped out of his skin.

_Piper._

Will turned to see the daughter of Aphrodite settling down on the bench beside him, a dangerously knowing grin on her face. Her eyes flashed with amusement. Will straightened up and cleared his throat.

_Come on, Solace, pull yourself together._

"I might be. Aren't you?" He tried to sound chill. Tried to sound like he was teasing her just as much she was teasing him. He raised an eyebrow pointedly and tilted his head towards Jason, who was laughing now at the return of Nico's scowl.

That beautiful, beautiful scowl.

Piper laughed. "I mean yeah, but he is my boyfriend, Will." She said. Will knew that Piper tried to play it cool about dating Jason, but the hint of smugness in her voice and the way she spoke slightly louder as she said the word 'my' in front of the other spectators gave her away.

Despite that, Will still felt a pang of envy about how openly she could say that.

By now, everyone at camp knew that he and Nico were more than just friends. They were together all the time and Will had long stopped trying to disguise his feelings (hence his front row seat today). Nico was slowly getting used to it. Will knew his friends teased him but he was getting more comfortable with Will joining them for camp activities and had stopped shying away from Will's constant smiles and sappy compliments. In the low light of the campfires, he had even started to lean into Will, or hold his hand, or slip an arm around his waist.

In private, Nico was much less reserved. Will had never seen the son of Hades smile or openly laugh as much as he had when it was just the two of them. He was so full of light and full of energy that Will felt like he was witnessing magic being created right in front of him. A magic only he was allowed to see. Sure, Will had been hoping and daydreaming about being alone with Nico for months, but he had never dared to imagine anything like this. Nico had become like his secret. And not in the excruciating, closeted way it had been when he first started thinking about Nico like this. Knowing what Nico was like when no one else was watching was the best secret Will had ever had.

Last week, they had kissed for the first time. Will's head still spun and his lips still burned just thinking about it. He thought about all the kisses since then too; on the beach, in Nico's cabin, against a tree in the woods when they were supposed to be on watch for capture the flag. Will felt constantly light-headed at the thought of it, even when he wasn't sitting here watching Nico flex and wink and smirk at him during sword fighting practice.

And yet, they still weren't really _dating_. Not exactly, anyway.

Piper knew this. The way she was looking at Will made him think that maybe she knew about all of it. Maybe being a child of Aphrodite meant she could tell without Will having to do or say anything that he had never felt this way about anyone before. That just because the other campers didn't know they were dating didn't mean that they weren't way past the point of no return on being more than friends.

Will knew that's what Piper was getting at when she said "he is my boyfriend, Will". He knew that what she was really saying was 'and what's your excuse?'

"I'm just here as the on-call healer." Will shrugged. Piper rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Will, we both know you gave up on selling us that old excuse weeks ago." She said. Will just grinned.

"Well, maybe I don't need an excuse any more." He said. To Piper's credit, she kept her cool as he said this, despite her eyes lighting up and her hand making a sudden movement as if she was about to pull him into a sideways hug.

"So you guys are dating now?" She asked hopefully.

"Do we have to be dating for me to be allowed to not have an excuse?" Will quirked an eyebrow. Piper's smirk softened into a kind smile.

"No, of course not. But I know that's not what you want." She said gently. She had lowered her voice now, moving closer to him on the bench so that the other campers wouldn't overhear her. Will's stomach clenched at her words.

"What do you mean?" He frowned.

"I _mean_ , you're obviously crazy about him" She said. Will felt his cheeks warm, but he wasn't embarrassed. Piper of all people would never make fun of anyone for being in love, no matter howstupid it might make them look.

"I know." Will said, turning away from her to look back over at Nico and Jason. They had stopped taking swings at each other and were both standing back catching their breath, though still crouched defensively, read to spring back into action at any moment. Nico was looking his way again and shot him a guilty smile. He must have guessed that Piper was grilling him. Will turned back to Piper. "And I know everyone at camp knows about us."

"Then why keep it a secret?" Piper asked.

Will frowned. It wasn't really a secret, was it? It was just… private. Something just for the two of them.

"I dunno" he said. "I kind of like that it's a secret…"

He looked back over and Nico and Jason. Piper leaned forward to watch too and smiled.

"I know what you mean." She said. "But you know, he's not going to change who he is just because you've asked him out. Trust me, the time alone together doesn't get any less special."

She bumped her shoulder against Will's gently. Will just frowned again.

"Then what's the difference?" He said.

Piper sighed and sat up straight again. "I guess… it just feels a little more real."

And as she spoke, Nico lunged forwards and managed to knock Jason's sword to the ground, this time forcing Jason down too. The fight was over.

Jason grinned at Nico from the ground and Nico leant forward to help him up. They clasped hands, then Jason turned towards them and his face lit up when he saw Piper. He clapped Nico on the shoulder and then jogged towards them, beaming. Piper stood up to meet him.

"You were watching?" Jason asked brightly as he reached them.

He didn't hug Piper, or even touch her, but some of the other girls on the stands slunk away shooting them grumpy looks. Everything about the way they stood and the way they looked at each other made it obvious they were a couple. A couple very much in love.

"Yeah, watching you get you butt kicked" Piper teased. Jason was not phased.

"Nico's getting pretty good, right?" He turned his grin towards Will as he spoke. Will looked over at Nico, who was retrieving his water bottle from the other side of the arena. He looked back at Jason and Piper and at the meaningful look Piper was giving him. Will knew that Jason was probably expecting a smart retort back making fun of Nico (he even had one ready), but instead he just smiled proudly and returned his gaze to Nico.

"He's always been good." He said. This time Nico hadn't noticed that Will was watching. He was being congratulated by Sherman Yang. The Ares kids all liked Nico, Will knew, though Nico was still oblivious, still too caught up on his own insecurities to notice when others paid him any attention.

Jason was giving him a funny look now, tilting his head questioningly at Piper, who grinned.

"Will's gonna ask Nico out today, right Will?" She said. Will wanted to glare at her and her ridiculously self-satisfied laugh.

"You better not be charm-speaking me, McLean." He said. Piper's eyes danced mischievously.

"I don't have to." She said. Will rolled his eyes and got up to walk across the arena to meet Nico. He could hear Jason and Piper laughing behind him.

As he approached, Nico noticed him and for a second Will saw a hint of an unguarded grin. The kind only he got to see.

"Enjoy the show, Solace?" He said, teasingly, though his eyes were lit up in unabashed excitement from his win. Will felt like his insides were liquified. His chest ached. He _really_ wanted to kiss him.

"You were great." He contented himself with saying instead. Nico's cheeks turned pink.

Will couldn't help himself. Piper's smugness be damned. "You wanna hang out on the beach with me later tonight?" He asked. "As like, a date?" He added. The pink on Nico's cheeks darkened even further. Will watched his face carefully for a sign of reluctance, or for a nervous glance at the other campers, but there was none.

"Sure, um…" He bit his bottom lip and looked up at Will through his lashes. This guy was seriously going to kill him. "We could go now, if you want? Like, after I've showered."

Will let go of the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. He nodded, relief and excitement and nerves coursing through him.

He looked back at Piper and Jason, who were both grinning at them.

Damn it, he hated it when Piper was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can read the ensuing beach date with Will and Nico in Part One of this series (Between You and Me) - chapter 6 :)
> 
> Are there any scenes between Will + anyone-except-Nico you wanna see? Let me know and I might write it! Have been in the zone lately!
> 
> Thanks so much for all the love/kudos/comments for this fic - you guys are the best x


	3. Percy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Nico… found the doors." Will began slowly, talking himself through it. "And he knew about closing them on two sides before you did… Gods, Percy, was Nico in Tartarus?"
> 
> Will hadn't seen Percy look this serious since the battle of Manhattan. 
> 
> Slowly, Percy nodded. 
> 
> -
> 
> Will talks to Percy about Nico's nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Companion/sequel to 'Nightmares', chapter 12 of 'Between You and Me'

The dining pavilion was quiet. It might have been the only time of day when you might call it peaceful. The sun was just barely up. The sky was the palest blue, muted by featureless clouds spanning the horizon.

Will sat at the Apollo table with Kayla, who was watching a livestream of a European Archery Championship on a smuggled-in phone she had purchased from Julia.

Only two other campers were awake; a Hephaestus kid who was slumped over their table and looked very much as if they hadn't slept at all overnight, and a Nike kid in active wear determinedly downing a fancy looking smoothie.

Will picked at his food. He wasn't up any earlier than usual, but today he felt exhausted. It had been under a week since he'd stayed overnight at the Hades cabin and witnessed one of Nico's nightmares for the first time since the infirmary… The past few days he'd been working hard in the infirmary, rearranging the storage closet and trying as hard as he possibly could not to think about anything else.

It hadn't been working.

Every time he thought about it he remembered how tortured Nico looked.

Nico refused to say how often he had nightmares like this. And he refused to talk about the content of his nightmares. The past few days things had been normal between them at camp during the day, but every night, Will worried. He couldn't stop thinking about Nico, alone in his cabin, potentially suffering all over again.

Will was on the verge of giving up and turning to sigh dramatically in Kayla's direction until she listened to him when a familiar face appeared a few tables away. A face that rarely appeared anywhere near this early.

Percy certainly didn't look very awake as he slouched across the pavilion. His camp shirt was crumpled his hair was sticking up in various directions. Will watched curiously as he sat briefly at the Poseidon table, accepted a plate of eggs from a passing dryad, and then dragged himself up to head to the brazier.

"Hey guys" he said sleepily to Kayla and Will as he passed their table.

"Morning" Kayla chirped. Will waved.

"You're up early today" He commented.

Percy shrugged and rubbed his eyes with his spare hand.

"Nightmares." he said. And he headed back to the Poseidon table looking disgruntled.

Will blinked after him. His mind kicking into gear.

_Nightmares…_

Will thought about every worry that had been running on loop over the past few days. He thought about how great it would be to have someone else to talk to about it. Someone who might actually be able to give him a bit more background… since he was obviously not going to be getting any more information from the source he wanted to talk to. Not anytime soon anyway.

And more than all of that, he thought about how maybe Percy could help Nico…

Throughout breakfast Will watched Percy pick at his food. He looked miserable. When Jason appeared halfway through the meal and took a seat at the Poseidon table with him the two of them exchanged a few words, their expressions serious. Then Jason nodded sympathetically and clapped Percy on the shoulder.

Percy seemed to cheer up a bit after that. Will watched them for a few more minutes before Austin arrived at the Apollo table and Will turned his thoughts back to his siblings for a while.

—

Just before lunch, Will noticed Percy acting strangely again. Will had just come out of the infirmary after spending the morning teaching campers basic healing techniques, to see Percy and Annabeth sitting together on the steps to the Athena cabin.

Percy's head was resting on Annabeth's shoulder and Annabeth's arm was wrapped around him. Will didn't think he'd ever seen either of them look so sad.

Before he could think much of it, Kayla had called impatiently for him to join her and Austin at lunch. But by the time he'd finished his sandwiches his mind was made up.

He was going to talk to Percy about Nico's nightmares.

—

"Hey, Percy!" Will jogged to catch up with Percy as he left the dining pavilion. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Percy looked surprised, but smiled.

"Sure, man." He gestured towards his cabin in invitation, and the two of them began walking that way together. "What's up?"

"I-" Will paused and looked around the green for a moment, making sure there weren't too many people around and checking for Nico. He waited until they were a little closer to the Poseidon cabin before continuing. "I was hoping you could talk to me… about Nico."

"Nico?" Percy looked perplexed. Will guessed he wasn't used to being approached for relationship advice. "Um, sure. I-"

"What happened to him?" Will interrupted. "On your big quest… How was it that he got captured?"

Percy frowned at Will. He scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"What do you mean? Haven't you heard it all from the head counsellors meetings?"

"Yeah, I mean I know what happened on the quest, in theory. But I mean, what actually happened, specifically to Nico?"

"I…" Percy looked reluctant. "I dunno. I mean… Hasn't Nico talked to you about it?"

"No." Will couldn't help but sound frustrated. They were in the Poseidon cabin now, both sitting on unused bunks. Will ran his hands through his hair as he spoke. "He… He doesn't like to talk about the quest. And he gets upset when I mention it… And I know I should let him talk about it in his own time but it's just… I'm starting to worry. He-" Will hesitated and looked up to meet Percy's eyes. "He's having nightmares."

Percy's brow furrowed in concern. He bit his lip, perhaps thinking of this morning at breakfast.

"I'm sorry." Will mumbled, looking away. He felt embarrassed now, like he'd overstepped. "I know it's none of my business really. I just… after this morning I thought…"

"It's fine." Percy said. "Really, Will, it is." He sighed heavily. "Once we got to Rome… we went to through some heavy stuff. All of us did, but Nico, he had an especially hard time. When the giants had him…" Percy trailed off, as if unsure how much to talk about.

"Why is it that the giants captured him? Where did they find him?" Will asked. He'd heard the story of the quest a few times, but that part had always been kind of vague. And whatever happened in Rome sort of seemed overshadowed by Annabeth and Percy's ensuing trip to Tartarus. Will wasn't sure what else could be 'especially' much harder than that…

"The giants…" Percy said carefully. "They found Nico while he was looking for the doors of death."

"So he was in the Underworld?" Will asked.

Percy hesitated. "…Yeah." he said.

There was a silence in which the two of them looked at each other. Will could tell that wasn't the whole answer. Percy was giving him an uncertain look like 'do you really _really_ not know?'

Then Will thought about it… _really_ thought about it. The doors, Percy and Annabeth's journey, the fact that Nico was the one to lead the rest of the Seven to the House of Hades.

His eyes widened as he realised. Percy grimaced.

"Nico… found the doors." Will began slowly, talking himself through it. "And he knew about closing them on two sides before you did… Gods, Percy, was Nico in Tartarus?"

Will hadn't seen Percy look this serious since the battle of Manhattan.

Slowly, Percy nodded.

"That's where the giants found him." He said quietly.

Will cursed under his breath.

"That's what he sees, isn't it? In his nightmares." Will's voice trembled when he spoke.

Percy grimaced again and shrugged.

"That's what we see." He said, presumably talking about himself and Annabeth. "But… I imagine it's different for us."

"How come?" Will asked.

"Well," Percy said awkwardly. "Because Annabeth and I were down there together. We stayed together the whole time."

"Wait," Will said in disbelief. "He was in Tartarus _alone_!"

Percy shifted uneasily from where he sat on his bunk. He assumed the expression Will had seen on his face earlier that day, when he was sitting on the steps of the Athena cabin with Annabeth. He also seemed guilty. Will suddenly felt bad about coming here without telling Nico first, but then he remembered how Nico had shaken with silent tears after waking from his nightmare a few nights ago and his own concern overtook everything else.

He recalled the way his own dream had darkened when he had been sleeping next to Nico. His lip shook as he pictured the ground turning to broken glass beneath his feet. He remembered the sinking feeling in his stomach as he registered that somewhere in the background of the dream Nico had been screaming.

"Will?" Percy interrupted his thoughts. There was deep concern in his eyes that Will had never seen before.

"Why didn't he say anything?"

Will hated how whiny his own question sounded. How selfish.

He hoped that Percy could hear in his voice the real feeling behind the question. Will was terrified.

Percy sighed.

"Listen, Will, I can't tell you what it was like for him. I don't know what exactly he saw and did down there." Percy's tone was practical now, though he still looked concerned. "But…" He hesitated, "I can talk a little about what happened to us, if that helps?"

Will's eyes widened. It was clear from both Percy and Nico's behaviour that their (and Annabeth's) memories of Tartarus were deeply personal. Will shook his head numbly.

"No." He murmured. "You don't need to do that Percy… I'm just worried."

"Yeah" Percy said heavily. "I get that." He was silent for a little bit before continuing. "The thing is… this stuff. It's hard to talk about. _I_ don't like to talk about it much. But Nico will come round. He might not be able to tell you exactly what happened to him… but he can ask you for help. Just… don't expect to get all the answers from him. It might not be a story he wants to share with anyone."

"But…" Will hesitated. He knew that Nico's journey over the past few years was traumatic. He _knew_ that… It just felt so unfair to him that so many of Nico's sacrifices had somehow become secrets. "He's a hero." Will said quietly.

"I agree." Percy said. "But honestly… I don't think anyone should have to hear about this stuff… it's… it's pretty dark."

Will thought again of the brief insight he'd gotten into Nico's nightmare and fretted.

"Will." said Percy, "Nico cares about you a lot. Just give him time, I'm sure that he'll come to you if he needs help."

"You really think he will?"

"Dude, I've seen Nico ask for help more times in the time he's been at camp with you than in the entire time I've known him." Percy smiled. "I really do think he'll talk to you about this."

Will tried to smile back, but it probably came out as a grimace.

"He's probably worried about what I might think of him when he tells me," he mumbled.

"Well he shouldn't" Percy smirked a little. "I mean its pretty obvious to everyone who's ever seen you look at him - you're in way too deep already." Will felt his cheeks warm and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Besides, I've seen you in battle. You do not scare easy."

"Thanks Percy" Will's smile was genuine this time. "And thanks for talking to me about this… it can't have been easy."

"Hey anytime, man." Percy stood up and stretched. He looked around at the total mess that was his cabin. "Although… since you're here… You could pay me back by helping me prep for cabin checks?"

Will laughed. He guessed he walked into that one.

"Sure" He shrugged. As if taking care of the infirmary, a cabin full of siblings and a reclusive son of Hades wasn't enough. He stood up and started to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read chapter 12 of Between You and Me for more Tartarus themed angst! I wrote a first kiss chapter as a pick me up for after though? More fluff coming soon I promise 🙃


	4. The Nico di Angelo Protection Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will must have known what Jason was doing, Jason was certain. 
> 
> But at every move Jason made, Will simply took it in his stride. Sometimes he even had an understanding look in his eye like 'it's ok, I'm hitting on your little brother, I get it' or he'd back off for a little while with an easy shrug like 'whatever, I'm not relying on this one moment to make my move, I respect Nico's friend time'.
> 
> Jason wasn't sure whether to be infuriated or impressed.
> 
> He tried to explain this to Percy.
> 
> "Oh, no." Percy shook his head. "We are not backing down this easy." He grinned and held up a single golden drachma. "Time to call in an intimidation expert."
> 
> -
> 
> When rumours about Nico and Will start to spread around camp, Percy and Jason attempt to intimidate him. It doesn't go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Takes place in the first two months after BoO~

_Percy_

It wasn't long after the end of the war against Gaia when the rumours started. Maybe two weeks, or three, at the most.

Even to Percy, oblivious as he usually was, they did not come as a surprise.

He was in the Athena cabin, dropping by to steal Annabeth away for a few hours, when he first heard them.

Jess and Daniel were sitting on the front steps, deep in the last couple of moves of a chess match when Percy entered the cabin. By the time he and Annabeth were leaving, they were resetting the board and gossiping idly.

"-no way they have a chance with Solace," Jess was saying. "He's totally got it bad for Nico."

"Nico?" Daniel said skeptically. " _di Angelo_?"

"Obviously." Jess huffed. "What other Nico is there at camp? Besides, have you seen those two together? They're as bad as-"

Annabeth tugged impatiently on Percy's hand, jerking his attention away. He threw her an incredulous glance as they stumbled across the green together, heading to the beach.

"Did you hear that?" Percy asked.

"Hear what?" said Annabeth, not looking back, still pulling him along.

"What Jess said. About Nico and Will Solace!"

"Not really. Was she saying that they need to hurry up and make out already?"

Percy spluttered in response.

"What? Are you surprised?" Annabeth shot him a look over her shoulder like, surely he couldn't be _that_ stupid. Percy rolled his eyes.

"Well, no! Obviously not." Percy clarified. "Of course they would be adorable together. I just didn't realise it was like - camp gossip, already."

Annabeth shrugged. "The rumour mill works fast."

Percy sped up to a jog for a couple of steps so that they were walking towards the sea side by side.

"Should we be worried?" he asked.

Annabeth frowned at him, half amused, half puzzled.

"Why would we be worried?"

"I dunno, I just…" Percy scratched the back of his neck. "Nico doesn't really like being the centre of attention and like… Don't you think it's a little soon for them to be getting into a relationship?"

Annabeth barked out a laugh. "That is _so_ none of our business, Seaweed Brain."

"What do you mean?" Percy complained. "I'm just looking out for him!"

Annabeth smirked and gave his hand another little tug. "You worry too much, Jackson. Leave the poor kid alone."

As she spoke, she reached up to tug her hair out of its ponytail, probably knowing that would distract him. It was irritatingly effective. She stopped walking for a moment to lean up and press her lips to his jaw.

Maybe she was right. He should stop worrying.

-

Except that a few days later, the worry crept back.

He and Nico were sitting at the Hades table together. Jason had already had breakfast since he'd been up early to go for a run, so it was just the two of them eating.

They were midway through the meal when a pair of Aphrodite campers breezed passed them. They were chattering excitedly, probably unaware of how loud they were being.

"Did you see them practicing archery together yesterday?" one of them was saying. "So. Cute."

"Oh my Gods, you have no idea. He is always finding excuses to ask for help in the infirmary just so they can spend more time together."

Percy watched Nico's shoulders stiffen and his eyes widen as they both realised who the Aphrodite kids were talking about.

Nico's head snapped up and he met Percy's eyes with something like panic. Percy tried to act casual, even as the blush overtook Nico's cheeks.

"It _has_ been pretty busy in the infirmary lately." Percy blurted, attempting to absolve Nico of some of his mortification.

Instead, Nico's blush only deepened and he scowled down at his breakfast. He scoffed down the rest of his meal as hastily as he could and then stormed back to the Hades cabin without another word.

Percy's stomach sank.

-

"I just think that maybe we should talk to him, is all!" Percy was saying later that day. He was sat on one of the unused bunks in Cabin One, arms spread out in front of him as he tried to talk Jason onto his side. Jason sat on his chair, which he'd flipped around so his forearms were resting on the back.

"And say what?" Jason asked. "It's not his fault Aphrodite campers gossip."

"Duh." Percy agreed. "But like, don't you think we should be making sure that he knows that this kind of thing might freak Nico out? He probably doesn't realise that Nico's not ready for a relationship."

"Dude. What are you _talking_ about? How do you even know that?"

"I just-" Percy sputtered helplessly. "I dunno. I just think we should say something!"

"Percy." Jason sighed. "We are not giving Will Solace a shovel talk. You are being ridiculous."

Percy huffed.

_Looks like this is going to be a solo endeavour, then._

He had been so sure that Jason would be on his side.

-

_Will_

It was late in the summer and a slow week for camp injuries. Will pattered around the infirmary, making beds. He was the only one on duty that afternoon.

At around 3o'clock, he got an unexpected visitor.

"Oh, hey Percy." He called, smiling up at the son of Poseidon.

Percy stood in the infirmary doorway. He had a strange look on his face, like he was mad about something. His black hair was getting shaggy and his sea green eyes were darker than usual. He wore a raggedy looking camp t-shirt and swim trunks and Riptide was hanging at his waist in sword form.

_Sword form? That was odd._

Will's smile turned curious.

"Hello, Will." Percy returned his greeting, oddly formal.

"How's it going?" Will asked cheerily and Percy's eyes narrowed in suspicion. There was a pause. "Are… you alright?"

He kept his tone light, waiting patiently for Percy to find his words.

"I'm fine." Percy shrugged dismissively. "I just came by to…" He glanced around the infirmary, shoulders relaxing when he found it was only the two of them. "I actually came by to talk to you about something…" Percy made his way into the room, gaining confidence. "About Nico."

"Oh."

Will felt a thrill of nerves run through him.

Not out of any kind of guilt. Instead he found himself trying not to blush at the way his heart thudded at the mention of Nico's name.

Oh Gods. Percy knew about Will's feelings for Nico. Or he'd heard the rumours and was coming here to tell him Nico wasn't interested.

The tips of Will's fingers burned with mortification at the thought.

 _Calm down_. The rational part of his brain cut over his rapidly spiralling train of thought. _If you freak out and he doesn't actually know about your massive, embarrassing crush then the fact that you're having a panic attack about it will make it super freaking obvious._

He forced his limbs to stay casual and hopped up onto the bed he had just fixed up.

"Sure." He said, voice still as breezy as he could manage. He gestured for the bed opposite him. "We can talk."

Percy kept his eyes narrowed as he glanced at the bed and then back to Will. He took a seat.

There was a long silence.

"Sooo, what about Nico did you want to talk about?" Will asked. He hoped that didn't come out too snarky.

Percy raised one eyebrow and then seemed to psych himself up. He straightened his back and adjusted his sword, looking broader than he usually did.

"Well." Percy cleared his throat. "I've been hearing some rumours about you guys."

"Right." Will said carefully. He waited for Percy to clarify. This seemed to annoy Percy a little. Will smiled, hoping to ease the tension.

"Right. And er- I guess I just wondered… if there's any truth to them? To the rumours, I mean."

Percy watched Will's face so intently that Will couldn't help but feel a silent laugh tug at the corner of his mouth.

"What rumours are you talking about exactly?" He asked, still ever so casual.

Percy looked irritated.

_Ok, don't overdo it, Solace._

"If you mean the ones about us being a couple then-" Will shrugged. "We're just friends."

"Right." Percy said again. "But do you maybe wish that you were more than friends?"

Will's heart thudded.

_Casual. Keep it casual._

"Sure." Will smiled. "I mean, Nico's awesome. Right?"

Percy remained suspicious. Will wasn't deterred.

"I wasn't planning on making any moves though."

"You weren't?" Percy blinked.

Will laughed. "Of course not. I don't think he'd be comfortable with that considering how much other campers have been gossiping about it." As he spoke Will raised one pointed eyebrow. Percy had the decency to look embarrassed.

"Right. Ok." He said. He nodded himself, like he was trying to reassure himself of something, then puffed himself up like he had done at the start of the conversation and put one hand on Riptide again. "Well. Good. I agree."

Will's eyes rested on Percy's sword hand for a second. He smirked.

There was another silence, in which Percy attempted to stare him down. Will just tilted his head in a question.

"Is that all?" He asked.

"Um." Percy jumped up, looking a little deflated. "Yeah. Sure. That's all."

Will grinned and jumped to his feet too.

"Ok, cool. Well, see you round, Percy." He reached out to clap Percy on the shoulder and then turned his back, heading to the infirmary storage to get another set of fresh sheets.

Once he finally he heard Percy leave behind him, he let out a long breath and ran a hand through his hair.

_Ok, so Percy Jackson knows about your crush on Nico di Angelo. It's not that big of a deal._

He tried to get his heartbeat under control as he snatched up a pile of linen and returned to the infirmary floor. He tried not to think about how nothing Percy said implied that Nico might feel the same way. He tried to feel relieved that at least Percy hadn't told him that Nico was sick of spending time in the infirmary.

He felt a shy smile creep onto his face as he thought about Nico. He thought about how embarrassed Nico got whenever another camper made a comment about them. He thought about the cute way his eyebrows knit together in confusion when someone complimented him. He thought about silky ink-black hair and shattered glass eyes.

He sighed wistfully into the empty infirmary.

_Gods, Solace. You need to get a grip._

-

_Jason_

Percy barged into Cabin One, Riptide in one hand and the other hand carding through his hair in frustration.

"Impossible! He is the worst!"

Jason glanced up from where he was laying on his bunk, letting the book he was reading fall closed onto his chest.

"What?" He frowned at Percy, who was now pacing distractedly around his cabin.

Jason checked the statue of Zeus warily, hoping the sudden appearance of an enraged son of Poseidon wouldn't result in another indoor thunderstorm.

"That guy is impossible!" Percy said through gritted teeth.

"What guy? What are we talking about?" Jason asked, sitting up.

"Will Solace!" Percy cried out right at the moment he pivoted, still pacing. "I went to the infirmary to tell him he needed to quit flirting with Nico-"

"You did what?!" Jason's eyebrows flew up.

"-But then I couldn't even get the proper words out because he was so _friendly_ and _reasonable_!"

Percy capped Riptide back into ballpoint pen and shoved it in his pocket, looking thoroughly pissed off that Will Solace had had the nerve to be a decent person. Jason stared at him, nonplussed.

"Percy, you do realise you sound insane right now, right?" Jason said dryly.

Percy glared at him.

"What did you even say to him?" Jason asked.

"Well I asked him if the rumours about him having a thing for Nico was true." Percy said, ignoring Jason's eye roll. "And he said yes. But then before I could say anything else he said he wasn't planning on making any moves because he knows that the rumours make Nico uncomfortable and he thinks Nico is awesome."

Jason couldn't help but smirk at the utterly disgusted look on Percy's face as he recounted Will's words. This earned him another glare from Percy.

"Hey, don't laugh!" He complained. Jason tried his best not to.

"Why don't you ask Annabeth to talk to him?" Jason suggested.

Both he and Percy knew that Annabeth was the most feared person at camp.

"She won't talk to me about it." Percy grumbled. "Says it's none of my business."

"It _is_ none of your business." Jason agreed. Percy glared at him again.

"But she also says she doesn't need to talk to him, because she says he's smart enough not to be an idiot about a camp rumour!"

"She's right about that too." said Jason. "Look, I told you not to talk to him. Will's a nice guy. Everyone likes him. I don't get why you're so worried."

Percy's eyes narrowed.

"I'm telling you, man. This is not a good thing." He insisted. "I went in there trying to express how I was worried about Nico, and instead he just laughed at me and I looked like a total dork."

"I mean, in Will's defence, you _are_ a total dork." Jason pointed out.

Percy simply shook his head gravely.

"You wait. This can only mean bad things for us."

-

Over the next couple of weeks, as summer wound to a close, Jason continued to be unworried both by the rumours swirling around Will and Nico, and Percy's suspicious glances.

Every time Will and Nico arrived at the dining pavilion together, prompting heads to duck together and whispers to erupt at the Apollo and Aphrodite tables. Every time Nico blushed when Will waved at him at the campfire or called to him across the green in the mornings. Jason always heard a voice in his head, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Piper that said ' _Will's a decent guy. And Nico can handle himself_ ' or, ' _This is cute. Nico deserves a friend like Will_ '.

It wasn't until after most of the summer campers had gone back to school and the Fall year-rounder season began that Jason began to see exactly where Percy was coming from.

Percy and Annabeth had returned to the city for school, both staying with Sally and Paul. Piper and Jason were staying at camp for a couple more weeks before heading out to search for Leo together.

In the quiet of the Fall season at camp, Nico and Jason had formed a daily routine together.

Jason woke up, went on a run, showered. Then he dropped by Cabin Thirteen and if Nico was awake they went to breakfast together. They trained together with the Ares cabin and whoever else wanted spar practice for most of the morning. Then lunch. Then, in the afternoon they'd split off for some kind of camp activity. Jason usually used that time to do research for his temples. Nico often hung out with Piper or helped the Athena cabin run mythology class. Lately, he'd been spending that time in the infirmary instead, helping the Apollo kids on duty.

And Will Solace was always on duty.

It was around the third or fourth day in a row that Nico arrived at dinner with Will and ate with Jason only to promptly leave the Zeus table and rejoin Will to spend the whole evening in the Apollo cabin that Jason started to realise that maybe this whole rumour thing wasn't just a rumour anymore. And that maybe Will's promise to Percy that he wasn't going to make a move had been forgotten.

Sometimes Piper noticed Jason watching the two of them walking together or planning a project on the deck of the Apollo cabin or sitting together at the campfire. She rolled her eyes at him, but never said anything.

One night, Jason was walking back to his cabin after an evening catch up with Thalia at the Iris cabin fountain when he spotted Will and Nico walking across the green together. Jason paused where he stood, in the shadow of the Hypnos cabin, so they wouldn't see him. It looked like Will was walking Nico back to his cabin for the night.

When they arrived at the steps to Cabin Thirteen, Jason noted how close together they were standing. At one point, Will reached out and put his hand on Nico's arm and Jason was shocked that Nico didn't pull back.

Nico leaned forward slightly to say something and Will tilted his head inward to listen, then threw it back in a laugh. Nico was grinning.

Jason saw Will give Nico a hug goodnight and then retreat across the green to Cabin Seven. Nico hesitated in the doorway of his cabin, watching Will leave.

Jason stood in the shadow of the Hypnos cabin, blinking dumbly for several minutes after Nico had disappeared behind the Hades cabin door.

His rational brain warred with a familiar protective instinct.

Nico seemed so smitten with Will. But why hadn't he said anything to Jason? Or talked about it with Piper, even? Why did he always change the subject whenever Will came up, even in the most innocent context?

Will clearly still had feelings for Nico, as he had confessed to Percy several weeks ago now. But why was he walking Nico home at night and inviting him to come and help in the infirmary all the time if he wasn't planning on acting on his crush?

Jason knew Nico could take care of himself. And he knew Will was a nice guy. And he knew that Nico deserved to be happy and loved.

And yet he couldn't shake the feeling that this was a risk.

' _I'm telling you. This can only mean bad things._ ' Percy's words rang in Jason's ear.

From that moment, Jason resolved to be more attentive _and_ more firm whenever he was around Will.

-

The next morning, Jason passed Will on his morning run. Will was just coming back from a hike with his siblings, fresh-faced and sunny as always.

As Jason passed the three Apollo kids he threw Will his best wolf-glare. Will raised his hand in a cheery wave, as if he hadn't even noticed.

-

At breakfast, Jason stared Will down across the pavilion. He was laughing and chatting with Kayla about something. He didn't look up once.

"Are you ok?" Nico asked. Jason nodded grumpily.

At the end of the meal Will jogged over and to chat with Nico. Nico's face lit up as they talked. Before he left, Will threw Jason a friendly grin.

"Hey, Jason." he said, before inviting Nico to hang in the infirmary with him that night.

-

At the next campfire, Jason made sure to be there early. He tugged Piper along to sit with Nico, taking Will's usual spot. Piper eyed him suspiciously.

When Will arrived, Jason watched him carefully, searching for a sign of disappointment that his seat had been taken.

Instead, Will barely seemed to notice. He gave Jason and Piper a breezy smile, then took up a seat beside Cecil and Connor, chatting with them. When Nico craned round to look for Will, he flashed him a quick smile too but didn't stop his conversation with the Hermes campers.

For some reason this comparative lack of attention to Nico made Jason even madder than the constant attention.

-

At Friday's head counsellor meeting, Jason was irritable. He shot down Will's admittedly good ideas for a new rota on music and archery training.

Jason could hear the pettiness in his voice as he spoke, but instead of arguing, Will just shrugged.

"Fair enough." He said easily.

Like it was no big deal at all.

-

That afternoon, Percy arrived at camp. He was planning to stay the night.

When he, Jason and Nico hit the arena to spar together, Jason noticed that Will dropped by to watch. He noticed how Will paid more attention to the matches Nico was in and cheered whenever Nico won.

Percy locked eyes with Jason at one point and Jason realised that Percy had noticed it too.

"You were totally right!" Jason said at dinner that night. Nico had left already with Will and the rest of the Apollo cabin for a music night in their cabin.

Percy looked at Jason in surprise.

"About what?"

"About Will!" Jason cried. "I've been trying to intimidate him all week because it seems like he's totally going to make a move on Nico, but it's like he's just ignoring me!"

Percy's mouth dropped open.

"I knew it!" He gasped. "See, I told you!"

"I know, I know." Jason dropped his head in his hands. "I just didn't get it when you said."

The thing was, Jason knew deep down that his actions to try and intimidate Will were immature. Especially without having talked to Nico about it. Except that Will's reaction didn't match up that way.

When Will grinned or waved at him after Jason glared or snapped, it wasn't malicious and it wasn't taunting. It wasn't ignorant either. Will must know what Jason was doing, Jason was certain. But at every move Jason made, Will simply took it in his stride. Sometimes he even had an understanding look in his eye like ' _it's ok, I'm hitting on your little brother, I get it_ ' or he'd back off for a little while with an easy shrug like ' _whatever, I'm not relying on this one moment to make my move, I respect Nico's friend time_ '.

Jason wasn't sure whether to be infuriated or impressed.

He tried to explain this to Percy. Percy shook his head.

"Oh, no." Percy insisted. "We are not backing down this easy."

A curious gleam appeared in Percy's eyes. Determined and mischievous.

"So what do we do?" Jason asked.

Percy withdrew something from his pocket and held it up for Jason to see. It was a golden drachma. Percy grinned.

"We consult an intimidation expert."

-

_Reyna_

Reyna was hanging out in the Praetor's rec room when the Iris message came through.

Jason and Percy were sat on what looked like a bunk in the Poseidon cabin, their arms crossed and expressions serious.

Reyna straightened up immediately and frowned at them, alert and ready. "Hey guys. What's going on?"

"We need your advice." Percy said without preamble. Jason nodded.

"It's about Nico." Jason added.

Reyna quirked an eyebrow. Her battle instincts relaxed somewhat and she eased herself into a bean bag chair.

"Ok. I'm listening." she said.

The two boys exchanged a look, as if they hadn't thought this far ahead. After some kind of silent conversation, Jason took the lead.

"So we think that Nico might have a crush. On one of the campers here." He began.

Reyna blinked.

Ok. So that was… not what she was expecting.

Her mind ran quickly over the last couple of catch ups she'd had with Nico, scanning their interactions for new names Nico might have mentioned.

"It's Will Solace." Percy said, before she could land on that answer herself. "He's the head of the Apollo cabin."

"Right. That makes sense." Reyna said. When Jason and Percy looked at her quizzically, Reyna shrugged. "Nico never shuts up about him."

"Really?" Jason appeared momentarily distracted from his explanation of the problem. He leaned forward eagerly. "What does he say?"

Reyna narrowed her eyes at them. "Are you two trying to get gossip out of me? I didn't realise I was on the phone to two sons of Venus."

Jason and Percy exchanged highly insulted looks, which Reyna generously decided she would never mention to Piper.

"Why is Nico's crush on Will Solace a problem?" Reyna asked. "Does he not like Nico back?"

Reyna's stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought. From the stuff Nico had told her about how great Will was and the time they had started spending together, it certainly didn't sound like this crush was unreciprocated. But then again, Reyna had seen Nico's memories of his crush on Percy, and those early days had been plenty filled with romantic daydreams too. She hated to think that Nico might be in for another long stint of falling for a friend who didn't love him back.

Her uncertainty didn't last long however. Percy had scoffed at her suggestion and Jason was shaking his head.

"Oh no, he likes Nico. He likes Nico a lot. If anything we have the opposite problem." He said gravely.

"Your problem is… Nico has a crush on someone… and he likes Nico back?" she said slowly.

Percy nodded. "Exactly."

Reyna found her eyebrow quirking up once more. "I don't see the issue here."

Jason rubbed his palm against his face, knocking his glances askew and looking even more frazzled by whatever it is that was worrying him.

"The issue is that Will Solace is impossible!" He cried out in exasperation. Percy nodded again and threw himself onto his back on the bunk behind them in commiseration. Reyna tried not to laugh. She was still intensely confused.

"I thought that Will was pretty popular at camp?" She said. Her own memories of Will were positive. She remembered a warm smile and expert commanding of both the Greek and Roman medics, seamlessly coordinating the end of the battle against Gaia into a healing and rescue operation. She'd spent a bit of time with Frank in the infirmary after the battle and remembered being impressed with how calm and cheerful he had been with his patients, even though he must have been dead on his feet.

She also knew that Annabeth spoke very highly of him. That and Nico practically gushed about how nice he was whenever it came up.

Percy and Jason either did not seem to have these memories, or they did have them and they were somehow making all of this worse. Percy scowled and Jason's mouth twisted in distaste.

"He _is_ popular." Percy growled out. " _Obviously_. He's impossible not to like!"

"Ok, so why is that a bad thing?" Reyna asked.

"Because he's been flirting with Nico!" Jason burst out, finally getting to the heart of the problem. "And everyone at camp is like egging them on which obviously makes Nico super uncomfortable, but then when we've tried to talk to Will about it he just ends up acting all _reasonable_."

Reyna frowned. Again.

"Reasonable." She repeated.

"Yeah!" Percy said, as if being reasonable was the very worst thing you could be.

"So uh… What exactly did you need my help with?" Reyna questioned.

Jason scooted forwards on his chair, all business.

"We need you to help us try and intimidate him." He said, clasping his hands together.

" _Intimidate_ him?"

"Yes." Percy said eagerly. "We need someone to get through to him. Who better than Nico's toughest and most scary friend?"

"Thanks?" Reyna quipped.

"You're welcome." Percy said sincerely.

"You guys, why would I need to intimidate someone who is universally liked and who Nico also likes?"

"Because." Jason said, shaking one finger slightly manically in the manner of someone about to explain a conspiracy theory. "Because Nico is our friend. And he's been through a lot. Especially when it comes to his crushes-" He paused here to throw Percy a look, at which Percy had the decency to look guilty, "- and Will doesn't know that. And he said that he wasn't going to make a move on Nico when he clearly is!"

"Yeah!" Percy chipped in. "And we care about him so we need to warn him that if he does anything to hurt Nico we are going to kick his ass!"

It took a lot of physical restraint for Reyna to not roll her eyes.

"Jason, Nico is just as powerful as either of you. And way more powerful than me." She said. "Couldn't he just kick Will's ass himself?"

Jason shook his head and wagged his finger at her again. "Would he, though?" he said.

Reyna's first instinct was to laugh. But then she thought about it properly.

When Nico got hurt by monsters, or by assholes like Bryce Lawrence or Octavian, then sure, his tendency was to kick some ass…

But when Nico got hurt by people he cared about, well… He tended to blame himself. If Will Solace hurt him, it didn't seem all that unlikely that Nico might convince himself that he deserved to be treated that way.

After all, that's what he had convinced himself of in the past. That's what he was still trying to un-convince himself of…

Percy and Jason must have seen the shift of attitude in her face because they were both straightening up hopefully.

"Ok." She said slowly. "Ok, I see your problem. So what's so difficult about talking to Will about it?"

Percy leaned in eagerly. "Seriously, Reyna, this guy is literally impossible to psych out. Every time we've tried he either ignores us or laughs it off. He's like a wizard." Percy shook his head with a kind of starstruck look that Reyna had only seen on him when talking about Annabeth in combat. She fought another urge to laugh.

Jason wasn't laughing. He looked at Reyna through the Iris message with startling earnestness. Reyna pictured Will Solace in her mind and tried to conjure up everything she knew about him and other people she knew like him.

"Ok." She said, deep in thought. "Ok. Let me think on it. And the next time there's a visit from Camp Half Blood, I'll help you."

-

The next visit from Camp Half Blood turned out to be only ten days later.

Reyna, Frank and Hazel stood at the entrance to Camp Jupiter ready to greet them. When Hazel cried out and ran forward to wrap Nico in a hug, Reyna's eyes zeroed in on the blond kid who stood just behind Nico.

He didn't seem as relaxed as he usually did, which Reyna took as a good sign. But it could just be that this was his first visit to a new place.

Reyna and Frank greeted Chiron and the other campers. Almost all the year rounders were here, along with Percy and Annabeth who had tagged along to have their monthly _Argo II_ reunion.

The trip had been arranged with Chiron to show the Greeks how things worked at Camp Jupiter, so for much of the first half of the day, Reyna found herself stuck firmly in Praetor mode. She and Frank sat with Chiron, Annabeth and Grover (the East coast's designated leader figures) at the welcome feast in the mess hall. Then, they led the entire camp on a highlights tour around Camp Jupiter.

The whole time, Reyna had one eye on Nico. He was usually wedged in at either Hazel or Will's side. In both cases he seemed relaxed and happy. Reyna did not miss the stolen smiles that Will kept throwing Nico's way, or the way he almost glowed whenever Nico laughed. At one of these moments, Reyna looked up to see Jason catching her eye. He nodded gravely.

Reyna knew she should be happy to see Nico so happy. And she was. Really...

But she couldn't get Jason's words from their chat ten days ago out of her head.

She watched the way that Will bantered with Hazel over the feast, making Hazel throw her head back with laughter, utterly charmed. She watched the way this made Nico grin dopily at Will over his cup. On Nico's other side, Percy narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

It should have been funny. And honestly, Reyna really did like Will. She fully intended for them to be good friends, eventually. But she needed to have a more serious conversation with him first.

After the camp tour, Frank announced that he'd be conducting a more thorough tour of the barracks and armoury. The Ares kids eagerly agreed and Kayla bounced along at Frank's side, enquiring hopefully if he could include a swing-by of the archery range.

Reyna turned to Will then, locking eyes with Jason and sharing a knowing glance before she did so.

"Will, would you like to see our infirmary set up?" She asked.

If her overly formal tone bothered Will, he didn't show it. His eyes lit up at the suggestion.

"Definitely!" He agreed.

"I'll come." Nico piped up from beside him.

"No, Nico, you should go with Jason." Reyna said firmly. "He said he'd show the others Temple Hill."

Nico frowned. "But I've already seen Temple Hill."

Reyna scrambled for a reasonable excuse to give him.

"I uhhh, wanted your opinion on the placement of some new Underworld God shrines." Jason cut in hastily.

Nico's frown deepened. Reyna forced a fake smile which prompted him to throw her a deeply suspicious look.

"Right, well we'll meet you at the gates to the city later then!" She said in a falsely authoritative tone. Nico scowled.

Reyna turned to Will, who looked perplexed.

"Ready, Solace?"

Will, bless him, smiled at her. "Sure." He shrugged.

-

In the infirmary, Reyna found it tricky to maintain her resolve.

As Annabeth, Percy, Jason, Piper and of course Nico had all pointed out to her, Will Solace was infuriatingly nice.

Will's smile was like sunshine personified. Which, she supposed, he basically was.

When they arrived, Will greeted his Roman half-siblings warmly. Rather than attempt to maintain the authority he had commanded in the Camp Half Blood infirmary, he quickly shifted into a polite and inquisitive guest, asking lots of intelligent questions and complimenting their storage systems.

He was excited to meet Pranjal again, the son of Asclepius and the head of Camp Jupiter's infirmary. Pranjal explained to Reyna that Will had been told by Apollo that he shared many of the powers of Asclepius, which was quite rare for a child of Apollo.

"Had to be some benefits to completely missing out on any music or archery talents." Will quipped.

Annoyingly, Reyna suspected that even this comment was simply Will being humble. At one point when one of the Apollo legacies threw a bottle of unicorn draught over for Will to inspect, he caught it in one hand effortlessly and later threw it back across the room without even looking. His aim was perfect.

He chatted to the Apollo and Asclepius children and legacies about Apollo himself and whether anyone had heard from him. When he talked about his father, Reyna saw genuine worry and care in his eyes. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen from a demigod towards their godly parent. 

When Will spoke to Reyna he was cheery and unaffected by her military posture or Praetor's regalia.

Usually Reyna liked it when campers treated her like everyone else, rather than revering her in her position. But she couldn't help but think that in this particular scenario a little reverence would have been to her advantage.

They walked up the road to New Rome together, just the two of them, and Reyna picked her moment.

"Listen, Will." She said sternly. She drew herself up to her full height and straightened her cloak. Will was walking beside her, completely at ease. His body language did not change when Reyna adjusted her tone. "I was talking to Jason over Iris message last week." She began.

"Ah, is this about Nico?" Will asked. His eyes sparkled knowingly. He reminded Reyna of one of the older legacies that ran an intro to self-defence class for new campers: always one step ahead of everyone, but never flaunting his power.

"I-" Reyna scowled at him. "Yeah. It is actually."

Will laughed, though Reyna didn't miss his blush.

"Jason's been giving me his wolf stare for like a month now. I figured he'd maybe talk to you about it." Will spoke as if he was talking about the weather, or a camp chore schedule. "It's ok." Will chuckled. "Go ahead and give me the speech."

Reyna opened and closed her mouth, then steeled her resolve, refocusing. She wasn't going to let him psych her out.

"Look, I know you're not an idiot, Solace." She said brusquely. "And neither is Percy or Jason. They know you've been messing with them."

Will had the nerve to look curious at that.

"But I am not messing around here." She pressed on. "Nico is the bravest kid I know. Possibly one of the bravest demigods ever."

She glared full force at Will, daring him to respond. Will's face remained smooth and calm.

"I agree." He said softly, eyes not leaving Reyna's face.

"He doesn't trust easily." Reyna continued. "But you, with all your healing and diplomacy, have convinced him to trust you. And, I'm not saying you're not trustworthy. Obviously, the kids at Camp Half Blood all respect you. And I'm not saying that Nico can't make his own decisions, because we both know what he'd do to us if either of us tried to suggest that to him." Here, Will let slip an amused smile, looking a little lovesick in a way that further sharpened Reyna's focus. "But Solace, listen."

She stopped walking and grabbed Will's shoulder with one hand. Will was strong but Reyna turned him around to face her easily. She took a step closer. She was taller than him, just, and used the full weight of her Praetor authority as she locked eyes with him.

"You don't understand yet how much it means to have Nico di Angelo trust you. But if you're lucky, one day you will."

Will seemed to let that sink in. He still didn't look intimidated, though he was listening intently.

"Now, I'm not telling you what to do, Solace. But I am telling you this." Reyna ramped up the ferocity in her stare, channeling her training with Lupa as best as she could. "If you do _anything_ \- if you make _one move_ that proves to me that you're not deserving of that trust. If you make _one_ mistake and you hurt him, then Nico won't be the only one with an intimate knowledge of the Underworld. You got that?"

Will's eyes widened as she spoke. He leaned away ever so slightly. And for one glorious moment, Reyna thought she had succeeded.

And then, that sunshine sparkle returned to his clear blue eyes.

And Will Solace laughed.

The way he was was smiling at her… He looked almost _fond_.

"I can see why Nico likes you." He said warmly. His arm and shoulder was relaxed in Reyna's grip.

Reyna's jaw dropped even as she tried to scowl at him.

"You think this is _funny_ , Solace?" She growled.

Will shook his head, still laughing. "No, no, of course not." He assured her. "I believe that you'll hurt me. I just really don't think you've got anything to worry about."

He looked so sure, so innocent, so smitten with Nico. It pissed Reyna off.

She glared at him again and stuck out one foot, pushing against the back of Will's calf and knocking him off balance. He cried out but Reyna maintained her grip on his arm so he didn't tumble to the ground with too much force.

Even so, he was on the ground. He looked around, disoriented, from his newfound horizontal position. Reyna towered over him.

"I told you I wasn't messing around." She said, one hand on her dagger hilt. Will instantly raised his hands in surrender, though his smile did not waver.

"I know, I know, I believe you!" He said quickly. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, but let Reyna maintain her position standing over him. His grin slowly softened. "Listen, you're a really good friend. But I promise, I'm not messing with you."

Reyna maintained her glare. Will remained unaffected.

"Seriously, Reyna. The last thing in the world I would ever do is hurt Nico. Swear it on the Styx and everything. Or on the Tiber, or whatever body of water it is that you make oaths to over here." His mouth twitched at the joke.

Reyna's resolve was slipping, though she was still annoyed that her intimidation tactic was proving so ineffective.

Will seemed to understand her dilemma. He leaned backwards, giving Reyna even more height on him, and held out one hand in a truce.

"I'll make you a deal." He said confidently. "If I ever hurt Nico, I'll report straight to you to get what's coming to me. I'll even swing by Hazel, Percy and Jason afterwards too, as a bonus."

Infuriatingly, he winked.

Despite it all, Reyna felt her frustration reluctantly ebb away. She leant forward to clasp Will's hand, hauling him up to his feet as she did so.

"Throw in a report to Annabeth, Solace, and you've got yourself a deal." She smirked.

At that, a kind of worry passed ever so briefly over Will's face. Reyna felt a brief stab of competitiveness.

_Damn you, Chase._

Before she could think on that any further, the moment had gone. Will was smiling his sunny grin at her and firmly shaking their clasped hands.

-

Later that day, Percy and Jason joined Reyna where she was sitting with a mug of her favourite hot chocolate.

"How'd it go?" Jason asked quietly. He glanced surreptitiously around them to make sure no one was watching.

Reyna let out a sigh. Together, they watched Nico and Will chatting animatedly, walking alongside a thoroughly bemused Frank Zhang.

"I think it's time we gave it up, boys." She said, finally admitting defeat. "You were right. Will Solace is impossible not to like."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter following a couple of different prompts in the comments of this fic and also on 'Between You and Me' (part one in this series), but particularly in response to comments from @MyDestinyIsWritten and @theatre_kid_on_crack. 
> 
> Initially when I read these prompts I kind of figured that Jason and Reyna, and even Percy were probably too mature/reasonable and respect Nico enough not to straight up threaten Will. Plus, I solidly headcanon Will as literally the nicest person they've ever met. BUT then I thought about how impossible it would be to threaten Will to do ANYTHING because he is just peak levels of chill in the face of danger, and I figured that would be fun to explore. Thus, this fic was born. 
> 
> Extra long, and maybe a bit OOC in parts but it was super, super fun to write. Hope you enjoyed it too :)
> 
> I might consider writing a sister chapter to this at some point featuring Annabeth, Piper, Hazel and maybe even Sally 🤔 If you'd be interested in that or you have ideas about how that might go down let me know!
> 
> Thanks as always for all the love in the comments. And also thanks to anyone who reads this and enjoys it but doesn't leave a comment. I hope that reading this can be some small positive part of your day. You fanfic readers are just the loveliest! x


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